Flavorful Game is in the Bag

Oven bags, such as those made by Reynolds and Glad, are perfect for quick, delicious, no-fuss game dinners. Place your favorite game in an oven bag and add seasonings, sauces, vegetables and/or other accompaniments. Seal the bag, punch a few holes in it to release steam, and you're ready to cook. When your dinner-in-a-bag is in the oven, you can forget about it — no tending, basting or stirring. And because oven bags prevent splattering and baked-on food, clean-up is easy. Best of all, lean game meats stay moist and succulent as they bake in their own juices, making this a blue-ribbon cooking method for quail, squirrels, rabbits, venison and other game that tends to dry out with standard roasting methods.

Home Style Venison Roast

1 large (14"x20") oven bag

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup water

1 envelope (1-ounce) onion soup mix

3-pound boneless venison roast

6 to 8 small whole red potatoes

1 medium onion, cut in quarters

1 package (16-ounce) peeled baby carrots

Chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Shake flour in the oven bag; place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Add water and soup mix, and squeeze the bag to blend in the flour. Add the roast, and turn the oven bag to coat the roast with sauce. Place potatoes, onion and carrots in the bag around the roast.

Close the oven bag with a twist tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Bake 2.5 to 3 hours or until roast is tender. Sprinkle with parsley before serving, if desired.

Rabbit in a Bag

1 large (14"x20") oven bag

2 tablespoons flour

1 envelope golden onion soup mix

1 cup water

3 medium carrots, cut in chunks

2 medium red potatoes, cut in wedges

1 medium green bell pepper, cubed

6 rabbit legs

Seasoned salt, black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in the oven bag; place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Add onion soup mix and water to the bag. Squeeze the bag to blend in the flour. Add carrots, potatoes and green pepper. Turn the bag to coat the ingredients with sauce. Season the rabbit legs with salt and pepper, and add to the oven bag. Arrange rabbit and vegetables in an even layer in the bag.

Close the oven bag with a twist tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Bake one hour or until rabbit is tender.

Turkey Breast and Gravy

1 large (14"x20") oven bag

1 tablespoon flour

2 packages (7/8 ounce each) turkey gravy mix

3/4 cup water

4 to 8 pound wild turkey breast

Salt, black pepper

2 medium onions, quartered

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in the oven bag; place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Add gravy mix and water to the bag, and squeeze the bag to blend. Season turkey breast with salt and pepper, and place in the bag. Place onions in the bag around the turkey.

Close the oven bag with a twist tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Bake 1-1/4 to 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the breast reads 170 degrees. For easy slicing, allow the turkey to stand in the oven bag 10 minutes. Stir gravy before serving.

Sunshine Barbecue Squirrel

1 large (14"x20") oven bag

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup orange juice

2 or 3 squirrels, cut in serving pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in the oven bag; place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Add barbecue sauce and orange juice, and squeeze the bag to blend in flour. Add squirrel to the bag, and turn the bag to coat the meat with sauce. Arrange the squirrel in an even layer in the bag.

Close the oven bag with a twist tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until squirrel is tender.

Southwestern Venison Steak

1 large (14"x20") oven bag

1 tablespoon flour

1 jar (16 ounce) chunky salsa

1 to 1.5 pounds boneless venison steak, 1/2-inch thick

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in the oven bag; place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Add salsa, and squeeze the bag to blend in flour. Pound the steak with a meat mallet until it is 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Add the steak to the bag, and turn in the bag to coat with sauce.

Close the oven bag with a twist tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until steak is tender.

Easy Quail and Rice

1 large (14"x20") oven bag

2 tablespoons flour

2 (10.5-oz.) cans condensed chicken broth

2 cups instant rice, uncooked

3 to 4 quail

2 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cubed

Seasoned salt, lemon-pepper spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in the oven bag; place in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Add chicken broth and rice to the bag, and squeeze to blend in flour. Place quail, squash and red pepper in the bag in an even layer; sprinkle with seasoned salt and lemon pepper.

Close the oven bag with a twist tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until quail is tender. Stir rice before serving.

With a resume listing more than 3,500 magazine, newspaper and website articles about fishing, hunting, wildlife and conservation, Keith Sutton of Alexander, Ark., has established a reputation as one of the country’s best-known outdoor writers. In 2011, Sutton, who has authored 12 books, was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a “Legendary Communicator.” Visit his website at www.catfishsutton.com.